Rarotonga May

Be Back

On The Air Routes

Rarotonga, cook islands, win again have an air connection with the outside world if pre sent plans of Samoan Airlines Limited of Pago Pago materialise.

Samoan Airlines President, Lawrence M. Coleman and opera tions manager, Wm. H. Cox, said in Suva early June that the company expected to commence operations by late August or September, using an amphibious Catalina.

They would start with a weekly return flight from Tafuna, Tutuila, (American Samoa) to Satapuala, Upolu (Western Samoa) with a flight, approximately monthly, from Tafuna through Rarotonga to Papeete and return by the same route.

Approval has been received to operate an unscheduled service on the latter route and negotiations are now proceeding with a view to extending their link westward :hrough Tonga to Fiji.

Under this plan it might then be possible to fly from Fiji along the Joral Route by TEAL Solents to Papeete and return with SAL ;hrough Rarotonga, Tafuna and ronga along this company’s “Last 3 aradise Route,” as they have lamed it.

Mr. Coleman said that the com >any anticipated that traffic would irobably warrant up to three flights >er week on the link between eastern and Western Samoa.

Rarotonga has not had a com nercial air link since New Zealand National Airways Corporation with- Irew 18 months ago, though New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority )akotas, calling at the island about very three or four months since, lave on these occasions uplifted lassengers to connect with TEAL t Aitutaki.

It is understood that provision fas made in the current Cook slands Estimates for subsidising an ir link between Rarotonga and fltutaki. It is possible that the lew Zealand Government intends d support the new SAL service, Ithough it will not provide a Raro

3nga-Aitutaki connection.

Motor Vehicles Third Party In irance is to be brought into opera on in Fiji on October 1, 1954. It ill operate in the same way as i many other British countries, the chicle owner being required to take it a special policy covering injury > any person other than the driver.

The American film company hich planned to make a film in restern Samoa this year, based on ir Arthur Grimble’s book about ie Gilberts, A Pattern Of Islands, as now shelved the project in finitely.